


Knowing Better

by commanderlurker



Series: Cats, the V is silent [6]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21554926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commanderlurker/pseuds/commanderlurker
Summary: Set at the end of Ziost.Cats and Theron catch up, and Cats tells Theron not to mope. (A whole planet just got eaten and she's telling him not to mope???)
Relationships: Theron Shan/Female Smuggler
Series: Cats, the V is silent [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1160342
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Knowing Better

Cats wanders into the comms room just as Theron wraps up his call with Satele. He bristles at her presence--he’s not sure if he’s ready to forgive her for handing Master Surro over to Lana--but he’ll be nice for the sake of appearances.

“What’s happening?” Cats asks.

Where to begin. He keeps it simple for the sake of his growing headache, tells her that Saresh finally saw reason and ordered all troops off Ziost. “Still. Not enough made it. A lot of people died. Not counting everyone on the ground when… that happened.”

Cats doesn’t say anything for once. She’s looking at the floor.

He lets her stew for a moment, but the silence goes on too long, then he’s staring at the floor too. “All out of my hands now,” he says. “Technically I shouldn’t even be here. Sending in a squad of secret Jedi without the chancellor or the Jedi Council’s knowledge turned out to be not such a great idea. When Saresh and Master Satele found out…” He shrugs. “I’m on administrative leave. Indefinitely.”

Cats’ expression flicks from guilt to anger. “Fuck them. Come work with me.”

Theron raises an eyebrow.

“I’m serious. I could use someone like you on my team. You’d have to sleep on the top bunk… and I’d have to cut you into the accounts… but that’s all detail. We can work out detail.”

She’s… actually serious. “Thanks, but… Whatever happens, I belong in the SIS.”

Cats nods. “Sure.” She toes the ground, anger gone and quick as it came. “You wanna get a drink? I could sure use one.” She looks… lost. Theron almost pities her.

“No, thanks. I’ve got a few things to clear up here.”

“Okay, your loss.” She turns to leave, but pauses. “Don’t mope, okay? Today was worse than rough, but we can celebrate our successes. You get lonely, come find my ship. I’ll introduce you to the crew. We’ll show you a good time.”

Theron nods. He has no intention of seeing Cats ever again. That’s what he said last time, as well. Look how that turned out.

*

Theron mopes. He gave up on his reports an hour ago. Now he sits in the Carrick Station cantina nursing a beer, watching the crowd. What’s the point of any of this? What’s the point in him even trying if he’s just going to get shut down at every turn? This is why he acts alone, does his own thing. He can’t wait for permission. Shit moves too fast for permission. Cats gets that. Plays by nobody’s rules but her own. That’s why she killed Kovach. Why she let Master Surro go with Lana...

Urg. Cats. With her silent V, wearing _his_ jacket.

He shakes his head like that’ll shake her from his mind. She only sticks harder. _Don’t mope_. He knocks back the rest of his drink and leaves. He walks all the way to her hangar without really knowing what he’s going to say. At best she’ll be an entertaining distraction. At worst, painfully awkward. A small part of him hopes she’ll fuck him again. A very small part of him.

He stands at the panel and sends a message. Lock stays red. He considers slicing it, but the holo spits to life. There’s Cats, wearing his jacket.

“Theron!”

“Cats!” He feigns excitement, even waves his hands.

“I’ll come get you.”

“Just unlock--”

She cuts the connection. The lock stays red. He paces in front of the security screen, second guessing himself. Then Cats trots out the ship and jogs over and his heart speeds up. He must be desperate for company. Yeah, he really needs to make some friends.

Cats unlocks the security screen. “Hey, glad you could make it. I'm currently stealing Corso's pay. We're playing sabacc. I hardly even have to cheat with him.”

Theron follows. The screen shimmers red again. “What's with the security?” He thumbs back.

“Can't be too careful. I don't want unwanted stowaways.”

“That happen often?”

Cats looks at him sideways. “I'll tell you the story one day. Till then, just know that you're only the second non crew member to step foot on this ship.”

“And the first?”

“Blaster bolt to the nuts.”

“Noted.”

He follows her up the ramp and tries not to look at her ass. She shuts the door behind him, locks it. Well. So much for a quick escape. Cats turns left and he follows, even though laughter’s coming from the right. It's a rough ship. Rough, but cared for. Lived in. It smells like people live here, and not in a bad way. The corridor opens out into a large space, holodeck in the middle, but all the action is in an alcove. Five people sit around, bottles and glasses, plates of food. Cards on the table. They stop and stare.

“Everyone, this is Theron. Theron, everyone.” Cats grins.

“Uh, hi.” He waves and tries to smile.

Cats points to a chair and Theron sits. She goes around the group.

“This is Risha. She's a dispossessed queen. We're working on getting her planet back, but in the meantime, she keeps the ship running. Bowdaar. He was on the ground back on Yavin 4, you might’ve seen him. He also kills slavers in his spare time. Akaavi likes long walks on the beach and war. She was on the ground on Yavin Four, too. Guss is my jedi. He's got a lightsaber and everything. He's my supply guy. And you know Corso.”

“Oh, are you the one from the swam--” Guss starts, but Risha elbows him.

Theron's cheeks heat up, and then they heat up more out of embarrassment at being embarrassed. He should leave.

They all nod or say hi with varying degrees of enthusiasm. They're everything he expected from their dossiers, and nothing like he expected.

“You want a drink?” Cats asks. She sends him with Corso, and they head to the actual mess. It's better stocked than most cantinas, a huge selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic bottles. And way too many bottles of that swamp whisky. He goes for a safe, low alcohol beer from a reputable brewery. Corso hands him a few other bottles and glasses for the rest of the crew, and stocks up himself, then the two of them take their haul back to the alcove.

Conversation picked up again in the minute he was away. He just sits and listens. Usual crew talk, reliving past missions, exaggerations, friendly arguments. While it's clear that Cats is the captain, she's socially equal, the crew giving her just as much shit as everyone else. That's… not what Theron's used to. But these guys aren't republic soldiers. They're mercs, essentially. Privateers. Crews like that all run their ships differently. This one's run like a family. Theron gulps down a knot in his throat and sculls his beer.

“Point me to the ‘fresher?” he asks Cats. He thought he was quiet enough but evidently not since half the crew pipe up.

“If you sit down, watch out for the suction,” says Guss. “You risk ending up in the recycler.”

“And if you stand up, get it in the bowl _and_ put the lid back down,” says Risha.

Risha’s tone carries the greater threat.

The droid escorts him. Stops short of following him in, thank goodness. He's not met a ship captain this paranoid. Ever. Must be a good story behind that stowaway, but he doesn't want to risk any awkward silences by bringing it up. He avoids both the suction (Guss is right, it really packs a punch) and any faux pas. He sticks his hands under the sonic washer and real water comes out. He looks around. There’s an actual shower box. And… is that a... sauna? What the hell kind of ship is this? From the outside it looks like a turd with a hyperdrive glued on, but it has water plumbing and a fully stocked bar.

The droid walks him back. He tries to sneak a look in a couple of the cabins, but the lights are off.

An arm wrestling match is in full swing when he gets back to the alcove. Corso and Bowdaar. Bowdaar wipes the floor and shouts his delight. Corso rubs his arm. No doubt who’d win that one.

“Fancy a rematch?” Cats asks Theron.

The crew cheer.

He’s transported back to Yavin 4 and a ridiculous best-of-three competition against Cats. Which he lost. Embarrassingly. “No way. I got my dignity to preserve.”

Someone snorts. Risha. “Don’t be so precious. There’s no such thing as dignity on this ship.”

“Go on,” Guss says. “We heard all about it but we didn’t get to see!”

More encouragement. Theron sighs. “Fine.”

He settles himself, gets comfortable, elbow on the table. Cats sits across from him. She grins and claps her hand in his. It’s warm and worn. He grins back. Guss puts his hand over theirs and does the countdown.

Shit, she really is strong. He’d forgotten. How could he have forgotten? And the heckling from the peanut gallery certainly doesn't help. She's got the edge on him, just like last time. And slowly, slowly, the back of his hand gets closer and closer to the table. He's lost, but he's not going down without a fight. He knows how Cats plays. He kicks her under the table. She yelps, but her elbow stays down. And his hand hits the table.

A flurry of credits and groans exchange hands.

He shakes his hand out and takes another beer.

Cats takes on Bowdaar. It’s surprisingly gratifying when she loses.

The competition continues, conversation continues. Laugher, so much laughter. Theron finds himself laughing too. The heaviness gradually lifts from his shoulders. He’s actually enjoying himself. Smiling becomes easier, laughing, too.

Guss falls asleep and Akaavi carries him off. The rest of the crew drift away in their own time, until only he and Cats are left. He’s long since shifted to non-alcoholic drinks. He’s not risking another repeat of Yavin 4.

“You’ve got a good crew,” he says. “In my work I don’t really have a crew. Not a continuous one, anyway. I pick and choose who I need for my missions. We don’t get to have this.” He waves his hand, indicating the ship, the time they’ve just shared.

“Took me a long time to learn what it meant to have a crew. Just me and C2 rattling around in this ship for four or so years. Company makes things easier.”

“You an only child?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

“Me too.”

He wants to say more, tell her about his childhood, how lonely and strict it was, how he did his best to live up to every expectation placed on him, and how he failed every time. And it wasn't even his fault. Can't fake being force sensitive. He tried. He wants to ask what her childhood was like, what her parents were like, when she learned to shoot, how many friends she had and what she did for fun. But he doesn't say anything. It's late. He's tired. He'd only be opening himself up to be poked at.

Instead he asks about Master Surro. “Why’d you hand over my jedi master to a sith lord?”

“She’s not just _any_ sith lord.”

“She’s still sith.”

Cats sighs. She stares towards the middle distance. “They know the emperor. If anyone’s gonna stop him, it’s sith like Lana.”

“But--”

“I gave Lana conditions, which you would have heard if you hadn’t stormed off in a huff.”

Theron frowns.

“Lana wants to stop the emperor just as much as the Republic.”

“Then why did you just brush me off?”

Cats smirks. “Your delivery could use some work. You can be a bit of a dick, just saying.”

Theron huffs. “Wow. Look who’s talking. In the time I’ve known you, you’ve punched me, choked me, and pulled a blaster on me.” And also fucked him into the ground…

“Because you didn’t tell me the full story! You think you know best but you don’t. You don’t trust the people you’ve _chosen_ to work with. You run around like you can save the galaxy on your own but you can’t do it on your own. No wonder you got fired. Again.”

“Ouch.” Theron grinds his teeth.

They’re silent. Just the hum of the ship, the clanks of the droid cleaning in the mess. Theron picks at a nail. Cats stares at the table. He’s way outstayed his welcome. He’ll wait three more seconds and then start his goodbyes.

“Theron. What… what happened on Ziost, with all those people?” Cats’ voice is small, quiet. She looks genuinely distressed.

“Uh, you were there, right?”

“Yeah, but. I don’t--Everything happened so fast, and then…”

“The Emperor killed everyone. That’s what he was trying to do on Yavin Four. He needed the life to boost his power. Ziost was… an easy target.”

Cats nods. “Right.”

“Yep.”

She brightens up. “We’re going to stay with my parents for a few days. You want to come? They’d like you.”

Her parents? Why would he want go meet her parents? And what would possess her to even ask? “No, thanks, I’ve got… stuff…”

The light goes out from Cats again. “Right, yeah.”

Theron takes this as his cue. He stands. “It’s late. I’d better get going. Thanks for inviting me. It’s been… good.”

Cats stands too. She’s close. Her arm brushes his. She leans in and presses her lips to his. He kisses back, but the spark of lust, so sharp back in the dirt on Yavin 4, is just a pinch right now.

“Too many people died,” he says.

“Yeah.”

She walks him out, right out the ship, through the hangar, back out past security. All in silence. Then they stand there, facing each other. Should he hug her? Or shake her hand? Kiss her again? What about a wave? Cats makes the decision for him, launching herself at him and hugging him tight, lifting him off the ground.

“Take care,” she says.

“You too.” They break apart. Melancholy hits him. Or maybe it’s tiredness. “Listen, I should have reached out to you sooner. Might not have helped the situation, but, you’re better than you think you are. Remember that.” He gives her arm a light punch. “And take care of the jacket.”

She punches him back. Then she leaves. The security screen goes red. He watches her walk back to the ship and up the ramp. Even after the ramp has been pulled up he stands there, staring.

**Author's Note:**

> And this is the last time he sees her before she DIES. He'll be regretting not having sad sex with her.


End file.
